Jo Puts Pistols Away

I could talk about Joakim Noah's triple-double of 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists during last night's 100-89 win over the Boston Celtics, but two reasons tell me I won't.  First, I was working last night and thus couldn't watch much of the game.  Second and more importantly, I would just be recycling the post I made last week about how Noah's on his way to his first All-Star appearance.  It was in that very post I used the above picture minus the touch-up.  Nobody could have anticipated I'd be coming back to it for reasons we wish wouldn't exist.

You won't be seeing the celebration anymore.  After turning in his latest big performance, Noah told the media he's retired it for good in the wake of Friday's elementary school shooting in Connecticut.  He said he received a few comments on social media regarding his schtick which contributed to his decision.  It probably wasn't the ultimate reason it happened, but at least Noah did something about the pistols before it turned into major backlash in the immediate aftermath of this tragedy.

Honestly, I only began to notice Noah's routine when I attended the win over Orlando last month and my friend John brought it up.  I probably would have caught on eventually as Comcast SportsNet has even run promos with the pose.  Like many Bulls fans, I'm sorry to see it go, but am perfectly understanding of the reasons.  Way more often than we'd like this year alone, we have seen too many mass killings at the hands of people who use these weapons.  Continuing this celebration would not only be insensitive to the families of the victims, but given the mental states of many of those who pulled the trigger in these cases, you want to discourage anyone in similar situations from even considering these acts.

The violence in this country will always be a topic of debate.  Both sides are able to make convincing cases for why there is or isn't too much or whether or not certain images send the message that absolutely nothing is off limits.  What's not debatable is that young people's lives are ending far too prematurely because some of their fellow men don't hold the same regard for human life as everyone should.  It's a shame that Noah's act had to end like this.  We'd rather have seen it conclude on his own time.  Sometimes however, circumstances force your hand.  By taking it down a notch, Noah can restrict at least some of the violent messages people are exposed to.  You can guarantee he'll be doing more than he ever has to push his anti-violence agenda.  It's something we should all get behind because this way, we can prevent more tragedies like those in Newtown and Aurora.

The slightly calmer Noah will continue the season with the rest of his season Friday at Madison Square Garden to visit the hot New York Knicks.  Last time the Bulls were there was on Easter and they lost a heartbreaker thanks to a big three from Carmelo Anthony that was played over and over again on highlight shows everywhere.  They'll be ready to play as I'm sure the memory remains fresh in their minds.  And hey, as long as Noah looking for new ways to find enemies in opposing crowds, how about doing something to rile up Spike Lee?  That would be entertaining.